Date: 18 Sep 2013 23:17 Title: A Dark Creation Tale
Well this is a well thought out attempt to explain how the Prophet Orbs could backfire and create a much worse reality. The explanation on how Sisko own faults and flaws reflect by the Orb of Possibilities lead to devastation to Bajor and how that feed out to the other worlds. The irony that the last hope as the species is the Ferengi and how to have any hope for that reality need the good Dukat to accept the pain of a reduce memories of the orb powers.
On whole it was well written and does give food for thought on the Mirror Universe.
Date: 18 Sep 2013 23:04 Title: Excerpt from The Lightless Ends of the World
Hmm now this is an interest scene setter between Sisko on the prime potentially and this alternative Dukat. Interesting that Sisko is still the Prophet liaison even to alternative potentially Dukat, that he understands how badly he would react to a mind wipe, the fact that he prepare to offer the compromise of reduce the memories to a dream state.
It interest that the alternative Dukat was prepared to bring the orb back to the Prophet and despite seeming to be a more reasonable person, the idea of memory lose is still repulsive to the Cardassian. Still I’m thought the self-analysis ending does make me want to read on.
Date: 17 Sep 2013 01:32 Title: A Dark Creation Tale
First of all...I love Sisko's reaction to using the words "Dukat" and "gentle" in the same sentence. That was trippy enough for me to see.
Awesome idea behind the creation and perversion of the mirror universe. The whole idea of "Great power comes great responsibility" I think applies aptly to the Bajorans and the Prophets; you even mention that, it wasn't until all history of this incident had been erased from time that the Prophets sent more orbs to Bajor. They waited until Bajor was ready for the power of the orbs before trying again with them.
You also raise an insane idea to contemplate - the infinite universe theory doesn't just apply to our universe and the decisions of each of us. It also applies to every other universe. You liken it to a virus, and that's so very disturbingly true - this one misguided act creates a multitude of "infected" universes. It's nice to imagine just the mirror and just us; we're all good, they all have goatees...but no, you present us with an idea that I think gets lost among most of us. There isn't just one mirror universe, there are billions to choose from.
I also liked that you included warping of the other races' histories as well, not just Earth's. Another problem I see often in Star Trek; the MU seems to be a look at just an alternate Earth. They acknowledge everything is different (even show it on screen), but you never seem to get an idea for how differently the other cultures were affected in the mirror, other than their interactions with Earth.
And how very ironic that the fate of universes lies with one man that so many people hate. Hooray for (good) Dukat.
Date: 07 Jan 2012 17:52 Title: A Dark Creation Tale
It's interesting how you put the divergence from us to the MU as happening at the time of George Washington (instead of him refusing a third term and riding off into the sunset). It's somewhat unclear in canon. In ENT, Phlox notes that both universes have the same Shakespeare but that other works of literature differ. It's unknown whether he goes as far back as the Bible, Plato's Republic or even just to Samuel Richardson's Pamela, Or Virtue Rewarded (1740). Perhaps he doesn't go even as far back as that.
In TOS, Marlena Moreau (Kirk's woman) refers to him as a Caesar, so there is some convergence with Ancient Rome, but that doesn't necessarily pinpoint the moment of divergence one way or the other (personally, I use the Roman Republic, 450 BCE).
The MU is, as you know, one of many possible variants (see the TNG episode Parallels), but it's the one that we see the most, and has the most fully-realized canon history. Small wonder that it can prove irresistible to fan fiction writers!
In your story, what I'm seeing is that an idea for good becomes corrupted and twisted by circumstances. What you have is the kai - an imperfect being - attempting to instill perfection. And that's - as you noted - never going to work, or at least it won't work as expected, or hoped for.
Once again, good intentions with disastrous results. Now, where have I heard that before?
Author's Response:
MU George Washington was the one who founded what you might call the American Empire, which I think then became the Terran Empire. But it started earlier...in my universe, you might notice alterations, though more subtle, in the Bible--or if not the Bible, then perhaps in extrabibilical works. I'd be a little worried, for instance, about the Talmud or the Kabbalah (sp?).
And you're exactly right about what the kai tried to do. He thought he could create perfection--and forgot that only God can lay claim to perfection. Even the Prophets cannot; they are mere "angels," and flawed too, though it's less obvious than the kind of flaws we see in beings like ourselves.
Date: 07 Jan 2012 17:45 Title: Excerpt from The Lightless Ends of the World
Mysterious ... and I like the idea of a choice being offered, with some measure of consent for Dukat. Sounds a little like Faust.
Author's Response:
Haven't read Faust, I'm afraid. But he's got a difficult choice to make, for sure.